The market now offers a slew of new AI tools that draft minutes of meetings. You hold your meeting on Zoom or Teams, and you not only receive a transcript of the discussion, but an AI-generated summary of what was said, and what the group approved, tabled, and rejected.
While most of us who have drafted meeting minutes will appreciate the bulk of that work being managed by someone (something) else, that's not the set of minutes that would be most helpful.
In fact, there are two sets of minutes for every meeting. First, there's the set described above of the facts discussed and decisions made. Second, there are the more subtle, more personal, and, in many ways, the more important "minutes" that we each take away from a meeting and that impact more directly, the success of our organization. But because we each experience the meeting through our own filter(s), those "personal" minutes feel anecdotal and don't have credibility. If AI could capture those minutes, we would have an objective and honest assessment of our team dynamic and our relationships, which we could all use to improve our behavior. Here's the set of meeting minutes we really need captured by AI.
After a few minutes of perfunctory, non-issue-specific "catch-up" and chit-chat, mostly to stall waiting for Val to arrive, Mindy indicated she received a text from Val saying she was running just a few minutes late and would arrive shortly. The group decided to start the meeting anyway.
The Alpha Project:
David provided an update on the project, starting with the background, which no one in the group needed since the team just discussed this last week. He suggested he and his team deserved recognition for keeping things moving in spite of being impacted by matters outside of his control. The group gave him a golf-clap round of applause. Based on the minutes I have prepared of other meetings, David's high level of need for praise seems to be understood and tolerated by the group, although the camera noted eyerolls by Sanjay and Chris.
Mindy indicated she received another text from Val saying she was in the elevator and would arrive shortly.
Twice, Juanita asked important strategic questions. Each time, Chris interrupted. Although Chris started with, "Sorry to interrupt, but...," they didn't seem very sorry since they did the same thing three other times in the meeting. The discussion got sidetracked with Chris' questions, which were less about the project itself and more about how the project impacted Chris' team. As a result, the group never discussed Juanita's important questions and an opportunity for meaningful discussion was lost.
At 2:25, Val burst in carrying her usual half-gallon jug of water. Although Val drank all of her water in the next ten minutes, it was Sanjay who excused himself twice to go to the bathroom. I am connected to the AI software at Sanjay's health care provider. Given his prescriptions, his need to go to the bathroom is likely connected to an enlarged prostate.
The Beta Initiative:
Val shared proudly but in a subdued tone that the Beta project is ahead of schedule and under budget. Oddly, there was no acknowledgement from the group that this is a huge accomplishment given the complexity of the undertaking. No golf-clap for Val.
Sanjay suggested the team consider hiring the Carmichael Consulting Group for added support. Most of the group supported the idea. Based on the minutes from the last two meetings, it seems that Val had made this suggestion in both prior meetings but was shot down or ignored.
The Gamma Project:
Mindy updated the group regarding staffing on the Gamma project. It has become clear that Jeff, from the consulting firm, isn't working out. The group discussed that perhaps it's time to end the contract with that vendor. Since that equivocating language is typical of this group, and usually suggests an unwillingness to make tough decisions, I immediately drafted the letter of termination and set it to Jeff. You're welcome.
Meeting Summary:
Val excused herself early because she was late for another meeting.
Based on my word count and analysis, David talked the most and added the least.
Juanita spoke up only occasionally, but each point was thoughtful, relevant, and moved things forward.
In each discuss, Sanjay typically asked two or three questions before giving an opinion, which led to a more robust conversation.
Chris asked the most questions overall. Where Sanjay's questions prompted discussion, Chris' questions were technical in nature and looked for specific answers for moving things forward. Both added value.
Mindy indicated she just received an email from Jeff asking why his firm has been terminated and asking for a meeting. I immediately emailed our insurer to put them on notice of a potential breach of contract claim.
In fact, we don't really need an AI product to provide these kinds of meeting minutes. We're each creating this summary in our head during every meeting, noticing who is doing or saying what, and then making assumptions as to why. Addressing some of these issues starts with each of us, and it's most helpful to us individually and to the group, if we start by figuring out how we can be a better meeting participant.
Which behaviors in the meeting have we seen in ourselves?
If you know you tend to arrive late to meetings, don't take the important phone call five minutes before you are supposed to be somewhere else either physically or mentally.
If you've ever heard yourself interrupt someone with "Sorry to interrupt, but...," pause before you jump in at the next meeting and ask yourself if the questions can wait. Chances are your comment or question may be more insightful if you listen to other people's comments first.
If your group is known to equivocate, insist on clear decisions before moving from one topic to another.
Most importantly, reflect honestly and impartially to how much you are talking at a meeting. It's essential that your voice be heard; that's why you have a seat at the table. Other voices matter as well. Challenge how much you're talking compared to others. What's the right balance given your role on the team?
